Art Berke, a lifelong White Sox fan, has worked at the highest levels of the sports industry with Major League Baseball, ABC Television and Sports Illustrated. He grew up in Northwest Indiana, in the shadow of old Comiskey Park, and proudly proclaims 2005 as the best year of his life. Art offers his glass half-full opinions and observations as he lives and dies with the Sox.

A Very Happy Saturday on the South Side

After their third straight victory against the Yankees, the Sox are poised for a sweep tomorrow against the league’s best team with Mr. Perfect on the mound.

The best way to dissect today’s 14-4 win is to point to the terrific team effort:

* Unheard of in the recent past, the Sox scored 14 runs on 17 hits WITHOUT A HOME RUN on the heels of scoring 10 runs on 13 hits last night with only one round-tripper in the 10-5 triumph.

* The “Piranhas South” were responsible for driving in 11 of the 14 runs. Pods and Beckham had four apiece, Nix two and Getz one. The other three runs were driven in by Jermaine (2) and AJ.

* As far as the hit parade, Podsednik, Pierzynski and Getz collected three each, Beckham had a pair doubles and Kotsay got his first hit in a Sox uniform. With seven hits in the last two games, AJ is now hitting .315. Getz, with five over the last two, is up to .272.

* How about the top of the lineup? Once the Sox achilles heel, Pods and GBeck are both hitting .303.

* Nix had the most intriguing line of the day. He was 1-for-1 (a double) with two runs scored and he walked four times–twice with the bases loaded.

* Today’s offensive outburst began against Yankee starter AJ Burnett, one the game’s hottest pitchers. The South Siders touched him up for seven runs in 4 2/3 innings.

* Always the tough competitor, Danks wasn’t at his best–but fought through some wildness to give us what we needed.

* In the last two games against New York, the bullpen has been flawless. Today, Pena, Williams, Thornton and Jenks pitched three scoreless innings on the heels of Pena, Dotel and Linebrink hurling five scoreless last night.

* A key to beating the Yankees? Having the lead in the late innings to avoid facing Mariano Rivera. The greatest closer in the game’s history, he hasn’t appeared in the first three games of the series.

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I appreciate you guys taking it to the Yankees so intensely lately. We’ve been able to climb to within 5 games of 1st place. And you guys are ascending too. Take tomorrow’s game and we’ll forget all about that Buehrle perfecto.http://raysfanboy.mlblogs.com/

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